This course will provide an overview of evaluation and assessment activities in libraries. Students will consider various library operations as [http://ec.wmich.edu/g.htf?trm=evaluand evaluands], and the extent to which these operations are [http://pareonline.net/getvn.asp?v=8&n=20 evaluable]. Students will become familiar with existing tools for evaluating library operations, will [http://ec.wmich.edu/g.htf?trm=design%20(evaluation) design] their own evaluation, and conduct their own evaluation research.

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This course will provide an overview of evaluation and assessment activities in libraries. Students will consider various library operations as [http://books.google.com/books?id=koL0Fs_ZSvQC&pg=PA139 evaluands], and the extent to which these operations are [http://pareonline.net/getvn.asp?v=8&n=20 evaluable]. Students will become familiar with existing tools for evaluating library operations, will design their own evaluation, and conduct their own evaluation project on a library function or service.

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Tableau's [http://www.tableausoftware.com/data-visualization-software data visualization software] is provided through the Tableau for Teaching program.

This course will address the following themes:

This course will address the following themes:

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== Course management ==

== Course management ==

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[http://www.google.com/+/learnmore/hangouts/ Google Hangouts] will be used for virtual office hours. During the first 2 weeks of the semester we will have 2 Hangouts per week. After that we will decide if they're popular enough to maintain 2 per week, or if we should scale it back to 1 per week.

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I will hold virtual office hours throughout the semester, using [http://www.google.com/+/learnmore/hangouts/ Google Hangouts] or [http://www.bigbluebutton.org/ BigBlueButton] or some other tool. During the first 2 weeks of the semester we will have 2 Hangouts per week. After that we will decide if they're popular enough to maintain 2 per week, or if we should scale it back to 1 per week.

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=== Minimum technology requirements ===

=== Minimum technology requirements ===

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In order to participate fully in this course, you will need to have access to:

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In order to participate fully in this course, you will need to have access to a computer, with:

This book is available in the [http://www.store.unc.edu/ Student Stores] and [http://webcat.lib.unc.edu/record=b6015208~S1 on reserve] in the SILS library. Also available [http://www.amazon.com/Evaluation-Measurement-Library-Services/dp/1591585325/ from Amazon] or any online bookseller.

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: This book is available in the [http://www.store.unc.edu/ Student Stores] and [http://webcat.lib.unc.edu/record=b6015208~S1 on reserve] in the SILS library. Also available [http://www.amazon.com/Evaluation-Measurement-Library-Services/dp/1591585325/ from Amazon] or any online bookseller.

This book is available from [http://genuineevaluation.com/the-worlds-first-evaluation-e-minibook-actionable-evaluation-basics/ Amazon and Smashwords in a variety of formats].

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: This book is available from [http://genuineevaluation.com/the-worlds-first-evaluation-e-minibook-actionable-evaluation-basics/ Amazon and Smashwords in a variety of formats].

All readings will be assigned on the course Schedule. Readings not from Matthews will be available on the free web, as an [http://eresources.lib.unc.edu/ejournal/ e-journal], via the Library's [http://eres.lib.unc.edu/ e-reserves], or via this wiki. Readings are also listed in my [http://pinboard.in/u:jpom/t:inls782/t:reading/ course Pinboard feed].

All readings will be assigned on the course Schedule. Readings not from Matthews will be available on the free web, as an [http://eresources.lib.unc.edu/ejournal/ e-journal], via the Library's [http://eres.lib.unc.edu/ e-reserves], or via this wiki. Readings are also listed in my [http://pinboard.in/u:jpom/t:inls782/t:reading/ course Pinboard feed].

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The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) sponsors a biannual [http://www.libraryassessment.org/ Library Assessment Conference]. The date for the next conference has not yet been set, but will probably be around October 2014. You should go.

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The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) sponsors a biannual [http://www.libraryassessment.org/ Library Assessment Conference]. The next conference will be 4–6 August 2014. You should go.

ARL also maintains the [https://groups.google.com/a/arl.org/group/arl-assess/ ARL ASSESS listserv], which is worth subscribing to.

ARL also maintains the [https://groups.google.com/a/arl.org/group/arl-assess/ ARL ASSESS listserv], which is worth subscribing to.

I've also [http://www.rssmix.com/u/3787847/ aggregated a bunch of RSS feeds] from assessment- and evaluation-related sources. (Subscribe to the feed using [http://www.rssmix.com/u/3787847/rss.xml this URL].)

Course description

This course will be offered online in the Fall 2013 semester.

This course will provide an overview of evaluation and assessment activities in libraries. Students will consider various library operations as evaluands, and the extent to which these operations are evaluable. Students will become familiar with existing tools for evaluating library operations, will design their own evaluation, and conduct their own evaluation project on a library function or service.

There is a Catch-22 involved in this course: conducting an evaluation depends on the appropriate use of methodology, but you will most likely not yet have completed INLS 780: Research Methods. We will make heavy use of various methodologies in this course. But this is not a course on research methods. We will therefore address specific methods as appropriate for the work in this course. For a more systematic approach to methodology, take INLS 780.

Course objectives

By the end of the course, students will be able to:

Identify library functions and services that must be assessed.

Plan, design, and implement an assessment program in a library.

Analyze and interpret the data from an assessment, and present that data for diverse audiences.

A note about office hours: I live in Seattle, WA & will therefore not be holding in person office hours in Chapel Hill. I will hold virtual office hours using Google Hangouts. And I am reachable by all of the fine media listed above. Contact me via any means you prefer. I'm happy to schedule a phonecall if you require a longer conversation.

Course management

I will hold virtual office hours throughout the semester, using Google Hangouts or BigBlueButton or some other tool. During the first 2 weeks of the semester we will have 2 Hangouts per week. After that we will decide if they're popular enough to maintain 2 per week, or if we should scale it back to 1 per week.

Synchronicity

This course will blend synchronous and asynchronous elements of online teaching and learning. Here is my plan for which components of the course will be in which mode.

Asynchronous:

Content delivery via video micro-lectures

Discussion in threaded forums

Synchronous:

Virtual office hours

Collaboration on group project work

Minimum technology requirements

In order to participate fully in this course, you will need to have access to a computer, with:

All readings will be assigned on the course Schedule. Readings not from Matthews will be available on the free web, as an e-journal, via the Library's e-reserves, or via this wiki. Readings are also listed in my course Pinboard feed.

Additional reading

Other good books on evaluation generally and evaluation in libraries specifically include: